Carlsberg investigated by German cartel office

COPENHAGEN, March 26 Carlsberg
confirmed on Tuesday that it was under investigation by the
German Federal Cartel Office after a magazine said the Danish
brewer was suspected of price fixing.

German weekly magazine Focus reported that Carlsberg, rival
Anheuser Bush Inbev SA and some local competitors could
face fines totalling hundreds of millions of euros.

The magazine said the companies under investigation control
nearly half of Germany's beer market and that they were alleged
to have artificially inflated the price of about 24 brands of
beer including Beck's, Holsten, Jever and Warsteiner.

Carlsberg confirmed it was being investigated by the German
cartel office but declined to say more.

A spokeswoman for the Federal Cartel Office said an
investigation of brewers had been going on since September 2011,
but declined to name the companies involved.

"We cannot say anything on timing but we want to complete
the investigation as quickly as possible," she said.

According to Focus, the companies being investigated include
Anheuser Busch InBev, Carlsberg, German retailer Oetker
and German brewers Warsteiner, Krombacher, Erdinger and
Bitburger.

Warsteiner and Bitburger confirmed they were under
investigation but declined further comment.

Anheuser Bush Inbev and Oetker also declined to comment,
while representatives of Krombacher and Erdinger were not
immediately available.
(Reporting by Mette Fraende in Copenhagen, Maria Sheahan and
Ludwig Burger in Frankfurt, and Philip Blenkinsop in Brussels;
Editing by Tom Pfeiffer)

ZURICH, Aug 9 Nestle expects pressure
from the rising price of ingredients for its products such as
chocolate bars, coffee and soup to ease, helping it meet its
target for increasing sales despite tough markets.

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